SARS Helps you eFile

What is Help-You-eFile?

Help-You-eFile on the SARS eFiling website allows you, the taxpayer, to ask a SARS agent to share your view of the eFiling screen on your personal computer.

This service will enable a SARS agent to view the same screen as you, to assist in identifying the problems you’re experiencing and to help you solve your problem. You benefit by being able to call on the support and advice of our staff without having to visit a SARS branch. You can even ask a SARS agent to call you back.

On which pages on eFiling is Help-You-eFile available?

While it is our goal to be of assistance to you throughout your eFiling experience, please note that for the moment, Help-You-eFile is only available for the following:

Individual Income Tax Return (ITR12) – only if you open your return with Flash Player on the Income Tax Workpage

Additional Payments

Additional Services.

Change own password

Disputes

Notice of Assessment (ITA34)

Other Services

Password reset

Payments

Returns History

Returns Issued

Returns Search

SARS Correspondence

Statement of Account (SOA)

Tax Calculator

User

Voluntary Disclosure Search

Registration

Currently, not all screens will be available to share; if they’re not available there will be a pop-up message on the page to let you know. This will be a phased process. As screens become available, the pop-up indicating restricted viewing will be removed.

Is my information secure?

The SARS agent will not be able to control your eFiling screen, edit any information or view sensitive information (e.g. login name, password, answers to security questions, banking details and payment reference numbers). Therefore, the Help-You-eFile session is completely secure and the confidentiality of your information is assured. Your desktop and files will also not be accessible to the SARS agent.

Accessing Help-You-eFile

1. You can start a Help-You-eFile session by clicking on the Help-You-eFile icon, either on the SARS eFiling login page screen or once you have logged into your eFiling profile.

Top Tip: If you enter your login details incorrectly more than twice, a pop-up message will be shown:

If you select:

• No, <Back to eFiling>, you will be directed back to the page you were working on.

• Yes, <Help me eFile>, the Welcome page will appear to continue with the session.

2. Or after you’ve successfully logged on to eFiling.

Top Tip: The assist message will be shown when you have –

• Captured more than 3 fields on the form and then are inactive on eFiling for more than 2 minutes.

• Pressed the same button 3 times on a form.

• Pressed the calculate button 3 times on the form.

If you select:

• Don’t show this again, the message will be closed and not displayed again during your eFiling session.

• <No - Back to eFiling> you will be directed back to the page you were working on.

• <Yes - Help me eFile>, the Welcome page will appear to continue with the session.

A message will be displayed providing information on what Help-You-eFile is. You will either select:

• Don’t show this again, the message will be closed and not displayed again during your eFiling session.

• Back to eFiling – you will be directed back to eFiling and not to the Help-You-eFile.

• Launch Help-You-eFile – the Help-You-eFile function will appear.

• Continue with demo – images will be shown on how Help-You-eFile works and what is seen by you and the SARS agent.

Top Tip: If you have selected Launch Help-You-eFile, a pop-up message will be shown warning you to save all information before going any further.

Click:

• OK to continue.

• Cancel to save any information first, and then click the Help You eFile icon again when you are ready.

Your Help-You-eFile session

The Help-You-eFile welcome screen will display:

a. A summary of the Help-You-eFile process

b. The Help-You-eFile online standard terms and conditions

c. The toll free number for the SARS Contact Centre

d. A unique Help-You-eFile session ID

e. The status of the SARS Agent

f. An option to log out of the session (Help-You-eFile).

1. Tick the box to show that you have read the Help-You-eFile terms and conditions. Click Accept.

Top Tip: If you click Back, you will receive a message asking if you are sure you want to log out of Help-You-eFile?

If you select:

• No, the Help-You-eFile welcome page will be shown.

• Yes, you will receive a thank you pop-up message and directed you back to the previous screen.

2. Once you have read and accepted the terms and conditions, you must call the SARS Contact Centre on 0800 00 SARS (7277).

3. Select option 5 for Help-You-eFile (if you’re not already on a call with a SARS Agent) and provide the SARS agent with the unique session ID so he/she can connect to the Help-You-eFile session and share the view of your eFiling screen.

Top Tip: The SARS Contact Centre hours are 08:00 to 17:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 09:00 to 17:00 on Wednesday

Remember you can also ask for a call back. Our agent will quickly call you back and can “shadow” you as you complete your return and will talk you through the entire process while highlighting sections on the page to ensure that you understand what to do. This collaboration allows us to help you deal with any stumbling blocks you come across while completing your return

Call Me Back

• Complete all the fields on the Call Me page.

• If you complete invalid information on either of the ID Number, Tax Reference Number or Contact Number fields, a message will be displayed on the screen.

Top Tip: If you submit invalid information, you will be prompted to provide valid information.

Top Tip: The information entered in Confirm Contact Number must match the information entered in Contact Number. A message will be displayed if it doesn’t match.

• Once you select Submit, a pop-up message will be shown confirming your request was received successful.

• After submitting your request you may cancel the call. Click Cancel Call.

• If you log out while a request to call you has been submitted, you will receive a message asking if you are sure you want to log out of Help-You-eFile and advising your request will be cancelled.

If you select:

• No, the call back will remain active and an agent will contact you.

• Yes, the call back will be cancelled.

Top Tip: The status will update on your screen.

• Once you have answered the call back from the SARS agent, you will receive the following message indicating your case number.

Top Tip: If the SARS agent hasn’t entered the unique session ID on the SARS system to connect; you will be notified that the system is waiting for the agent to connect.

• Provide the SARS agent with the unique session ID (The session ID will be on the toolbar highlighted in green. It will flash until the SARS agent is connected and also when the session is done).

4. When the SARS agent has entered the unique session ID on the SARS system, a pop-up message will be shown with your SARS agent’s name. Confirm whether you would like the agent to assist you.

Top Tip: If you select Decline, the Help-You-eFile session will end but the call between you and the SARS agent will remain active.

5. Select Accept.

Top Tip: A pop-up message will confirm that your SARS agent is connected.

Top Tip: The name of your SARS agent will be displayed on the toolbar.

Completing your return

6. Your SARS agent can view the actions performed by you on the eFiling site such as vertical and horizontal scrolling on a page, scrolling to new page, fields highlighted on a particular screen and information that is typed by you.

• Numeric fields (such as bank account numbers) will be displayed as zeroes and alphanumeric fields (such as passwords) will be displayed as an asterisk (*) to your agent on the SARS system.

• If you require assistance with a form, your SARS agent will be able view what actions you perform within the Flex forms only (i.e. those forms that are opened using the adobe flash player option). The PDF forms are static and non-editable. Your SARS agent won’t see what actions you perform within the PDF form and he/she also can’t point to or highlight any fields on the PDF form.

7. You can view text or fields that are selected by your SARS agent.

Text or fields selected by your SARS agent will be highlighted in purple on your screen.

Text or fields selected by you will be highlighted in green on your screen.

Masked fields are highlighted in yellow and if you place the cursor over these fields you will be notified that the information displayed/entered on that field is hidden from your SARS agent

On the SARS system masked fields will be displayed as zeroes to your SARS agent and alphanumeric fields (such as passwords) will be displayed as an asterisk (*).

Note:A new button “Source Codes” is added on top of the ITR12 form next to the ‘Print’ button to enable eFiling users to search for source codes when completing the form.

When this button is selected, a new window that links to SARS source codes page will be opened as indicated above.

8. Your SARS agent may request a re-synchronisation should his/her screen become out of sync with your eFiling screen. In this instance, the following pop-up message will be shown.

• If you wish to continue with the re-synchronisation, save any work that you are busy with and then select Accept.

9. If the phone call between you and your SARS agent gets disconnected, the Help-You-eFile session will automatically end and you’ll have to start the session again by clicking on the Help-You-eFile icon.

11. A pop-up message will be shown confirming your SARS agent has been disconnected.

Completing the survey

SARS would really like to receive your feedback on your Help-You-eFile experience and how to improve our service. You have an option to complete an online survey which will be displayed on your screen automatically. This survey will only take one minute to complete.